New shipments of aviation fuel revealed despite the military’s war crimes – Mizzima
Aviation fuel shipments to Myanmar have continued despite ongoing war crimes, Amnesty International and Global Witness said after they identified more companies involved in the supply chain, reports Mizzima.
In November 2022 Amnesty International published Deadly Cargo, a report on the country’s aviation fuel supply chain that links national, regional and global companies to the Myanmar military.
Amnesty International, Global Witness and Burma Campaign UK have now identified other companies involved in aviation fuel transactions, which are likely to have reached the military in recent months.
Myanmar military gets new aviation fuel supplies despite abuses – Al Jazeera
The Myanmar military continues to secure supplies of aviation fuel — involving companies from Asia and Europe — despite air raids that have killed and maimed civilians and forced thousands from their homes, reports Al Jazeera.
Amnesty International, Global Witness and Burma Campaign UK said they had identified more companies involved in aviation fuel transactions, following up on an investigation into the aviation fuel supply chain last year that found supplies for civilian aviation were being diverted to the military.
New EU sanctions more effectively target Myanmar junta – VOA News
The latest round of EU sanctions imposed on the junta were welcomed by advocacy groups, reports the Voice of America (VOA). Burma Campaign UK said, “This round of sanctions is well targeted, focusing on suppliers of aviation fuel, arms brokers, military procurement entities and members of the Burmese military and associated bodies.”
“These sanctions will take time to have an impact, which is why we need the EU to speed up the implementation of sanctions — two rounds a year is not enough,” Mark Farmaner, executive director of Burma Campaign UK, told VOA. “Monitoring and implementation of EU sanctions is up to individual EU member states. There is no transparency about how they monitor sanctions or action taken regarding breaches of sanctions.”
EU imposes new sanctions on military-ruled Myanmar – Al Jazeera
Myanmar’s energy minister, businessmen, high-ranking military officers and private companies will be subject to asset freezes and travel bans, reports Al Jazeera.
“These new EU sanctions are right on target, aimed at limiting air strikes and supplies of arms and equipment, as well as targeting individuals responsible for serious human rights violations,” said Anna Roberts, executive director of Burma Campaign UK. “The EU has the right approach, but they are moving too slowly to implement these sanctions. The delay in cutting off sources of revenue, arms and equipment is costing lives. Two years on from the coup, there are hundreds of companies and individuals which should be sanctioned, but have not been. The EU is implementing the right policy, but far too slowly.”
Myanmar’s overlooked but not-yet-forgotten war – Asia Times
The Ukraine war has dominated Western attention but a fraction of the same support could tip the conflict’s balance in favor of pro-democracy forces, reports the Asia Times.
“For many countries around the world, the Myanmar crisis has been forgotten,” said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK. “It may be understandable that a crisis on their doorstep means governments pay more attention to Ukraine, but it is frustrating that if just a few percent of the action against Russia was applied against the Myanmar military it could help to tip the balance in favor of people resisting the military coup attempt.”
Myanmar election ploy threatens to split ASEAN and West – Asia Times
The regional bloc is more likely than the EU or the US to accept the military regime’s planned sham poll as legitimate, reports the Asia Times.
“There is simply no question of the British government accepting whatever regime which follows any military-organised elections as legitimately representing the will of the people,” said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK. “Sympathetic governments are looking to the National Unity Government to create a clear alternative to the military election agenda, which means making the concessions on federalism necessary to bring ethnic armed organisations, ethnic political parties and civil society on board to create a unified front. This hasn’t happened yet.”
Zoya Phan meets with King Charles III – Mizzima
Zoya Phan, Burma Campaign UK’s Campaigns Manager, an ethnic Karen and long-time political activist, briefly met with King Charles III on 1 February, reports Mizzima. The exchange took place at a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the contribution of East and Southeast Asian communities to the United Kingdom.
Charles III was quick to recognize Zoya as Karen from her ethnic dress. “The King seems to have a keen interest in Burma,” Zoya told Mizzima. “At one point he wants to visit Burma if there are genuine democratic reforms.” Zoya thanked the King for his support for Burma and told him about ongoing junta attacks targeting civilians and how people in Burma are desperate for help.
“As Karen we don’t want to be ruled by the British or the Burman. We want autonomy and control over our own lives, land, and natural resources.”
Myanmar’s military junta is facing a female fightback – Zoya Phan
Two years after the coup, women are defying the generals’ misogyny by overturning gender stereotypes and mounting political and armed resistance, writes Zoya Phan, Burma Campaign UK’s Campaigns Manager, for Chatham House.
Despite having killed at least 2,300 pro-democracy activists and arbitrarily detaining 16,000 more, the country’s military rulers, the Tatmadaw, are facing unprecedented resistance. Women are bearing the brunt of the military response in the country’s civil war – more than a million people have been displaced since February 2021, most of whom are women and children. Yet in the horrors of the past two years, on the political front and, to a certain extent, on the battlefield women have been playing a key role.
Donors must increase aid for the female civil society organizations that support Myanmar’s women – the people who have the most to gain from creating the just and equitable society that it is hoped will emerge from the conflict.
Burma Campaign UK welcomes new UK sanctions on Myanmar but wants more – Mizzima
Burma Campaign UK welcomed new UK sanctions targeting suppliers of aviation fuel to the Burmese military, but claimed they do not go far enough, reports Mizzima.
Anna Roberts, BCUK’s Executive Director said: “The British government is spot on, targeting suppliers of aviation fuel to the military, but they need to go further and faster to cut supplies to Burma, as the military seize civilian supplies of aviation fuel.”
BCUK is extremely disappointed by the incredibly slow pace of the implementation of sanctions. “Two years on from the attempted coup starting there are still numerous sources of revenue and arms which have yet to be sanctioned,” said Anna Roberts. “The snail’s pace of sanctions implementation allows the military to access more revenue and arms. Foreign Office ministers need to devote more resources to the speedy implementation of sanctions.”
Foreign Office response to supporter letters calling for sanctions on aviation fuel
Thank you to all our supporters that wrote to the Foreign Secretary calling on the UK government to impose sanctions on aviation fuel.
Here is their response:
FCDO response 31-1-23